The "have you seen their car?" comment was from an interview with Bloomberg regarding BYD, not BMW.
He laughed when asked about BMW during the Q2 2013 conference call, but it was a chuckle followed by serious comments. It was only when the questioner began nervously laughing that he laughed for a significant time.
Compilation video containing both events (unfortunately with music, but I don't care enough to track down the individual sources): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gt6CAswSOY
So, the big criticism here is that… he's too forthright about competitor's products? I'm actually quite ok with that.
The way I see it Elon is rising up to those around him not the other way around.
Sometimes -- and I'd argue often -- leadership consists more of both 1) getting out of the way of and 2) enabling those who Want To Get Shit Done.
I find the fanboiism somewhat tedious (I don't find the top comment of this thread all that insightful), but I do admire Musk for seeming to hit a number of remarkable goals. That said, I find Tesla and Solar City more impressive/promising than SpaceX (technical challenges and accomplishments notwithstanding) or the Hyperloop (ultimately an idea that's been rightfully junked in the past).
Given the history of US industry of doing just the opposite -- stalling and preventing needed innovation -- if I had to pick a single attribute of his that I find most encouraging it's his leadership in that regard.
Without SpaceX it's likely the business would have muddled along without putting any effort into reducing costs for decades.
There will be a time of reckoning for Elon, but this is not it.
By and large the BMW i3/i8 has received wide praise amongst motoring reviewers and has seen strong sales.
The sales of BMW's EV's are strong because of the brand, not because they are excellent electric cars.
Don't get me wrong, it is awesome that more players are entering the market. But for a little while longer, Elon can keep sniggering in his corner.